Digital Commons Network^™

Latitudinal Gradients In Arctic Willows And Their Effects On Stream-Riparian Systems, Donal Heaney

Honors Scholar Theses

Extreme warming in the Arctic due to climate change presents the opportunity to study rapid changes to ecosystems and their potential resilience. Willow (Salix) shrubs form the base of many Arctic riparian ecosystems, and they have increased in height and range as temperatures have warmed. The effects of warming on willows could alter riparian ecosystems and neighboring streams, so understanding how climate change will affect willows is integral to understanding how the stream-riparian meta-ecosystem might change. I used data from the EvoME Institute to compare willow canopy cover above Arctic streams along a latitudinal transect and investigate how …

Assessing Phenotypic Variation Across Generations Of Iberodes Littoralis Under Climate Change, Mariangel M. Fernandez Silva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The consequences of climate change and anthropogenic activity have decreased wildlife biodiversity. Plants are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their large biomass on the planet and sessile nature. A particularly useful method for plants to cope with environmental changes is phenotypic plasticity. Adjusting morphological traits through plasticity can help plants cope with environmental changes. Furthermore, plastic responses can be passed down through methods such as changes in DNA sequence or epigenetic modifications.

Our research project focuses on an herb, Iberodes littoralis, a species of concern native to the Siberian Peninsula with approximately thirteen extant populations. The data that …

Chromosome Evolution Model Reveals Hidden Variation In Karyotype-Driven Speciation In Ferns, Thomas Buchloh

All Theses

Because karyotype change commonly generates reproductive isolation between diverging species, rapid karyotype evolution, like that seen in plants, may increase the total rate of diversification. However, few studies have investigated this predicted relationship. Tests of this prediction have identified a positive correlation between the rate of karyotype change (specifically whole genome duplications) and diversification, but tests have been restricted to relatively small and young clades. Fortunately, novel macroevolutionary models have recently become available to investigate patterns of karyotype evolution in large phylogenies, providing new opportunity to investigate variation in karyotype driven diversification. Ferns are one of the most karyotype rich …

The Impacts Of Management Practices On Industrial Hemp Chemistry, Physiology, And Microbiome Ecology., Allison Marie Rietman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agroecology incorporates ecology and agronomy to inform crop management. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a prime system to investigate agroecological questions because it has only recently been authorized for commercial cultivation and its sensitivity to biotic and abiotic stressors is unresolved. Here, I investigate how some conventional management choices, including the application of fungicide, plastic mulch, and irrigation, impact the physiology, chemistry, and microbial ecology of industrial hemp. Overall, I found that industrial hemp can be both resilient and resistant to these stressors, an important development for the industry. In Chapter II, I tested the impacts of fungicide application …

Spatiotemporal Changes In The Imperiled And Diverse Mussel Assemblage Of The Spring River In Kansas In Response To Known And Emerging Pollutants, Joshua Holloway

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Kansas was historically home to 50 species of freshwater mussels, of which 42 remain extant. The Spring River of southeastern Kansas is home to 34 of the remaining 42 mussels, many of which are imperiled. Elevated metal concentrations that resulted from past lead and zinc mining in the Tri-State Mining District historically imperiled Spring River mussels, but this threat has abated over the last 20 years. Ammonia pollution may have replaced the threat of metals, however, with potentially severe consequences for Spring River mussels. Our objectives were to evaluate contemporary mussel assemblage structure, in addition to spatiotemporal trends in the …

Investigating Prefrontal Cortex Neuronal Signatures Of Opioid-Induced Risk-Taking Behavior, Cana Quave

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Opioid use disorder occurs alongside impaired risk-related decision-making, but the underlying neural correlates are unclear. We developed an approach-avoidance conflict task using a modified conditioned place preference procedure to study neural signals of risky opioid seeking in the prefrontal cortex, a region implicated in executive decision-making. Following morphine conditioned place preference, rats underwent a conflict test in which fear-inducing cat odor was introduced in the previously drug-paired side of the apparatus. While the saline-exposed control group avoided cat odor, the morphine group included two subsets of rats that either maintained a preference for the paired side despite the presence of …

Intraspecific Genetic Variation In Green Salamanders (Aneides Aeneus) At Bays Mountain Park, Brianna Drake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate taxonomy is crucial for conserving vulnerable cryptic species like the green salamander (Aneides aeneus) in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Prior studies identified three distinct lineages within the A. aeneus complex: Northern Appalachians, Southern Appalachians, and Blue-Ridge Escarpment. One previously collected sample indicated green salamanders in northeast Tennessee fit within the Northern lineage. The present study uses molecular data of A. aeneus at Bays Mountain Park (BMP) in Kingsport, Tennessee, to determine where the BMP population fits within these lineages. It was hypothesized that individuals from BMP belong in the northern lineage. Tail tips were collected from thirty-four …

Understanding Factors That Drive Wildlife Mortality During Prescribed Fire Management Of Prairie Restorations, Hunter M. Griffey

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fire is a key ecological disturbance, which plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and early successional species. For today’s land managers, prescribed fire is key in the restoration and maintenance of prairie ecosystems, halting woody encroachment and creating habitat desperately needed by many species. However, fire may have unintended effects on wildlife populations through direct mortality. Among taxa living in fire-dependent ecosystems, reptiles are predisposed to direct mortality, and several studies have recorded significant mortality during prescribed burns. However, the few studies investigating reptile mortality in prescribed fire are limited by small sample sizes and generally have limited analysis …

Agrichemical Surfactant And Pathogen Impacts On The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia Lignaria Say, Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Mary-Kate F. Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Pathogens that infect commercially reared bee species, such as honey bees and bumble bees, have been extensively studied within the last several years, and studies that explore pathogen impacts on solitary bee health are significantly fewer. Consistent pesticide exposure methods are limited to honey bees and do not outline exposure routes to solitary bees, including how to test chemical impacts on immature stages. My research investigated blue orchard bee survival, development, and immune response following pathogen exposure while simultaneously studying organosilicone surfactant (OSS) exposure and possible synergisms between these two stressors. In my first research chapter (Chapter 2), I define …

Potamogeton Crispus Invasion: Impacts On Native Aquatic Plants And Associated Faunal Habitat, Meghan-Grace Slocombe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Aquatic invasive plants are non-native plants that invade a water body and displace native aquatic plants. Invasion depletes the native plant community's ability to provide ecosystem services, including improved water quality, decreased problematic algae, and increased animal habitat. The loss of these ecosystem services reduces the value of fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities in aquatic ecosystems. The potential changes in plant communities and services are particularly important at sites targeted for restoration because project goals typically include increasing ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat. Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus L.) is a problematic invasive species in North America. To better manage …

Gone With The Flow: Flow Reduction Coincides With Reduced Metabolism And Standing Stock Of Benthic Algae And Macroinvertebrates In Desert Rivers, Chloe E. Lyles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

River metabolism, the measure of energy flow in a river, is driven by hydrological and physicochemical regimes (e.g., temperature, turbidity, and nutrients). However, these regimes are increasingly altered by human water demand and climate change-driven drought. These stressors alter the magnitude, timing, and duration of critical spring-snowmelt floods with poorly understood consequences on ecosystem function, particularly in desert rivers. To investigate the linkages between flow reduction, river metabolism, and basal food resource productivity (i.e., algae and aquatic invertebrates), we measured metabolism and basal resource availability in seven desert tributaries with varying degrees of flow reduction during low-flow conditions in 2023 …

Maximizing Dryland Seed-Based Restoration Success Via Retrospective Analyses Of Species-Use Patterns And Field Testing Of Seed Mix Composition, Spencer J. Good

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Due to harsh and variable environmental conditions, successful plant establishment in "dryland" ecosystems – areas with scarce precipitation – is a major challenge for restoration. One of the most important decisions influencing restoration outcomes is choosing which species to plant (i.e., species selection). Here I explored two opportunities to improve restoration success related to species selection. First, I examined recent restoration projects across Utah, USA to understand species selection patterns by site conditions (e.g., precipitation, elevation) and seed costs, and to identify tools for matching species to sites. Second, I tested how commonly used non-native species – those not originally …

Stereotypic Behaviors And Physiological Indicators Of Stress Occur In Horses With Restricted Durations Of Turnout, Elizabeth E. Rodgers

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The confinement of horses to stalls with limited or no turnout time restricts their natural roaming behaviors, which potentially increases stress and behavioral stereotypies. This study investigated the impact of turnout duration on behavioral and physiological stress indicators in healthy horses. Adult horses (n = 11) were enrolled in a 3 treatment (0-, 15-, and 60-minute turnout/day) Latin square design, including 3 12 d experimental periods over 6 weeks. Horses were acclimated to turnout (24.38 x 64.01m indoor arena) and stalls (2.74 x 4.87m - 3.66 x 3.66m) stalls prior to data collection on day 1. Experienced handlers managed …

Seasonal Detection Of Coliphages In Freshwater Bodies At Coastal Carolina University, Ella Caldwell

Honors Theses

Bacteriophages, commonly referred to as phages, are non-living viruses that only infect bacteria. As the most abundant biological entities on Earth, understanding their role in regulating microbial populations is essential. This ongoing research aims to identify naturally occurring bacteriophages that could effectively control bacteria blooms. The primary objective of this study is to detect coliphages on Coastal Carolina University's campus and determine their viral families. Coliphages are a subgroup of bacteriophages that specifically infect coliform bacteria. Water samples were collected across multiple sites on campus, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to amplify the viral DNA from the potential …

Distribution Of Mussels In Two Intermittent Upland Streams Of The Arkansas Valley Ecoregion, Aaron A. Brady, Seth Drake, Zach Crain, Kendall Moles

ATU Scholars Symposium

Freshwater mussels are facing an increasing need for conservation due to their declining populations. More data is needed on mussel distributions, especially in tributaries of large rivers to properly conserve and restore populations. Big Shoal Creek and Little Shoal Creek are two upland-tributaries of the Arkansas River (Lake Dardanelle) in which no records exist for freshwater mussel populations. We addressed this knowledge gap by sampling a total of 9 sites in Little Shoal Creek and 18 sites in Big Shoal Creek to determine the abundance and distribution of mussels in these streams. Mussels were sampled using a timed search approach. …

Gathering A Population Assessment Of Endemic Ozark Longear Sunfish (Lepomis Sp. Ozark) In The Illinois Bayou Watershed, Kade Zeiner

ATU Scholars Symposium

The Ozark Longear Sunfish (Lepomis sp. Ozark) is a species endemic to the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains, primarily found in headwater streams that dry up in the summer. Their spawning period occurs from May to August, and because of the impact dry seasons have on water level in headwater streams, there's a possibility their population and health may be impacted. As an endemic species, they play a key role in their ecosystem, and their unique position makes them significant for both ecological and recreational reasons. Because of the wide variety of Sunfish species the state offers, new recreational challenges …

Influence Of Biting Flies On The Growth And Condition Of Nestling Eastern Bluebirds, Ella Grace Bollinger

ATU Scholars Symposium

Habitat alteration and climate change are expected to increase the range, abundance, and season length of ectoparasites and the pathogens they carry. This is particularly concerning for nestling birds that are relatively naked and immobile, making them vulnerable to attacks by biting flies such as blackflies and mosquitoes. Despite the ubiquity of biting flies and the challenges they pose to nestlings, studies investigating their association with breeding birds remain rare. To address this, we propose a series of observational and experimental field studies with Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) to investigate the attraction of biting flies to active nests …

Using Environmental Dna To Evaluate The Distribution And Abundance Of Western Chicken Turtles, Kai D. Scarangella

ATU Scholars Symposium

The Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria; WCT) is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need that is currently under review for federal listing and is assumed to be rare and declining across its range. WCT are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic challenges, including habitat loss, habitat modification, and road mortality. The conservation of this species is further hindered by a lack of understanding of its distribution, abundance, and population trends. These knowledge gaps arise largely from the species’ unique characteristics and cryptic nature. More specifically, WCT demonstrate prolonged aestivation and are notoriously difficult to capture. Environmental DNA …

Comparing Parasitism And Resistance To Flow In Two Populations Of Elimia Virginica, Morgan G. Hicok, Abbie Tomba, Kate Green

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Snails are important in freshwater ecosystems as primary consumers and are good indicators of the stability of a habitat. Trematodes are parasitic flatworms that infect freshwater snails and can cause changes in metabolic function and growth. Flow rates and water levels are now more variable due to climate change, increasing stress and dislodgment in the snail population. This study investigates how parasites, shell morphology, and native flow environment influence resistance to disturbance. Elimia populations were sampled for differences in parasitism, shell morphology, and ability to withstand high flow environments in two different rivers. Sample sites at the Potomac River were …

Below-Ground Carbon Gradients Surrounding Saskatchewan's Native Agricultural Copses, Andrea V. Cline, Colin P. Laroque

Aspen Bibliography

As carbon markets develop, understanding the carbon storage capabilities of agricultural land is imperative to maximizing carbon storage. Ecosystems store two-thirds of their carbon below ground. Shrubland and shelterbelt carbon storage have been well documented in agricultural settings, yet little is known about the carbon stored under the native woody vegetation scattered across the Prairies. This study aims to be the first to quantify the below-ground carbon under and around these native trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) copses in the Canadian Prairies. For this study, the leaf, fibric, humic layer (LFH) and soil samples up to 60cm were collected …

Quantifying The Decline In Avian Biodiversity: A Global Crisis And Its Implications For Environmental Education, Canaline Osaka

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

People care about what they love—and it’s easy to love--and fall in love, with birds. The

opportunities to promote bird diversity are legion, and applicable throughout K-12 education. For example, the Eastern Bluebird needs to nest in the cavities of dead trees, a habitat drastically denuded by large scale farming—or in specialized nesting boxes. A nationwide effort to build and install these boxes has brought the population back to healthy numbers since its 1970 low point. (Once one knows what they look like, one cannot miss these roadside homes—Western Bluebirds also benefit.) Students can also engineer bird houses and deters, …

Female Acceptance Of Mates Is Consistent Across Different Sex Ratios And Male Proximities In Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) Breeding Aggregations, Alia Kabbaj, Laura Bousaid, Gabriella Lowney, Lindsey Swierk

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Sexual selection plays a crucial role in shaping reproductive strategies. We investigated the influence of sex ratio and male proximity on female acceptance of mates in wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). We hypothesized that females at a more even sex ratio would exhibit higher acceptance of males due to reduced male competition when compared to females at a more male-skewed sex ratio. Using digital video analysis of mating trials (n = 39), we quantified male proximity to females and female acceptance of males at two sex ratios – 1:4 (F:M) and 1:7. Males at a 1:4 sex ratio maintained …

You Are What You Eat: Bioaccumulation Of Microplastics In The Food Chain, Audrianna Torrey

2025 Student Academic Showcase

Over the last century, the use and production of plastic has surged as demand for cost-effective alternatives to traditional materials has grown. While plastic has been extremely beneficial in reducing the cost of production while expanding the market, it has also created a global pollution crisis. By 2015, an estimated 6,300 million tons of plastic waste had been generated with nearly 80% accumulating in landfills and the environment. Over the last couple decades, researchers have begun to study the effects of plastic waste and its breakdown into microplastic on aquatic environments. Although not all organisms reside in water, every living-being, …

A Population Study Of The Freshwater Turtles Of The Recently Expanded Lake Hydaway In Campbell County, Virginia, Joshua Sorenson

Senior Honors Theses

Freshwater turtles are an important part of the ecological systems in central Virginia. At the recently expanded Lake Hydaway, there are several turtle species for which their population characteristics were unknown, especially the prolific Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) and Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris). For five weeks, the lake was surveyed for turtles using hoop nets, and the turtles were marked and measured. Population characteristics such as carapace length and sex ratio for the Eastern Painted Turtle and Red-bellied Cooter were calculated, as well as population estimates for those two species. The Red-eared Slider ( …

A Redescription Of Leiurus Libycus (Birula, 1908), Stat. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Buthus quinquestriatus libycus was described by Birula (1908) from the Libyan Desert, based on a subadult male specimen. This taxon was later synonymized with Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828) by Vachon (1949). In this study, we re-evaluate this taxon and recognize it as Leiurus libycus (Birula, 1908), stat. n., providing a redescription based on the holotype. The type locality of this species is clarified as western Egypt (between Alexandria and Fayum). We synonymize Leiurus aegyptiacus Lourenço & El-Hennawy, 2021 with L. libycus, stat. n., syn. n.

Passive Integrated Transponders: An Effective Marking Technique For Individual Identification Of Anaxyrus Fowleri?, Emily Leprell

Honors College Theses

With the rise of fungal disease such as Chytridiomycosis, known as chytrid, causing massive population declines for many species of frogs and toads (order Anura), specific conservation strategies are needed now more than ever. In many cases, being able to mark and identify individuals is a necessary step in developing an effective conservation plan. Individual identification allows researchers to obtain accurate population estimates, which are needed to test the progress and validity of conservation management decisions. However, due to their unique life history, including cutaneous respiration and a dichotomous lifestyle, anurans are among the most difficult wildlife species to …

Cutting Waste In Tupper's Restaurant, Logan Salvator, Christien Merritt, Lily Amaral, Erik Dukes

Earth Day Symposium on Climate and Sustainablity

No abstract provided.

A New Centruroides Species And First Record Of C. Tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Honduras, Luis F. De Armas, Alex M. Cubas-Rodríguez

Euscorpius

A new species of striped bark scorpions, Centruroides lenca sp. n. is described, based on both sexes, from the Pacayita Volcano Biological Reserve (2,385 m a. s. l.), Ocotepeque Department, in the southwestern Honduras. By its general pattern, the new species resembles C. thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891), from which it clearly differs by having stronger and very darker pedipalp chelae, minute subaculear tubercle and basal pectinal plate with a large central pit in the female, among other diagnostic characters. Also, Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 is recorded for the first time from Honduras, on the basis of two observed or collected specimens …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Cannibalism And Disease Transmission In The Fall Armyworm, Kale Rougeau

LSU Master's Theses

Climate change may alter host-pathogen dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems due to rising global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. Here, we examined cannibalism and disease transmission using the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive agricultural pest, and its species-specific lethal baculovirus, Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV), under various potential challenges of climate change. We used three temperature treatments (cooler, optimal, warmer) based on the fall armyworm’s thermal performance curve to simulate a changing climate and four artificial diets with various protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (low, equal, high, standard) to manipulate resource quality from altered carbon dioxide levels. We found that higher …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxxvii. The Genus Hemiscorpius (Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Occurrence of the rare in the Horn of Africa genus Hemiscorpius Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae) is summarized, including a distribution map. A male of Hemiscorpius lipsae Kovařík & Lowe, 2022 from Djibouti is described for the first time. A new species Hemiscorpius huluul sp. n. from Somaliland is described, fully complemented with color photographs.